James Gurney

This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

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or by email:gurneyjourney (at) gmail.comSorry, I can't give personal art advice or portfolio reviews. If you can, it's best to ask art questions in the blog comments.

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All images and text are copyright 2015 James Gurney and/or their respective owners. Dinotopia is a registered trademark of James Gurney. For use of text or images in traditional print media or for any commercial licensing rights, please email me for permission.

However, you can quote images or text without asking permission on your educational or non-commercial blog, website, or Facebook page as long as you give me credit and provide a link back. Students and teachers can also quote images or text for their non-commercial school activity. It's also OK to do an artistic copy of my paintings as a study exercise without asking permission.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Less than a month from now, the largest-ever Dinotopia art exhibition will appear at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington. The show will be on view from February 6 – May 16, 2010.

Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney includes 60 of the major works from Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time (1992); Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995); and Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara (2007), along with a some sketches and maquettes.

Saturday, February 6 will be Dinotopia Family Day with lots of hands-on and family friendly tours. I’ll give a digital lecture called “Fact and Fantasy: The Making of Dinotopia” at 1:00, with a booksigning afterward.

On Sunday, February 7, from 11:00-4:00, I’ll be offering a workshop on water-soluble colored pencils for teens and adults.

There will also be teachers' workshops, homeschool programs, Saturday craft projects, a spring break art camp, a “Dino Design-O” poster project, and a press preview on February 4. I’ll also be visiting the Delaware College of Art and Design and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia during that second week of February.

The Delaware Art Museum is also the home of the largest display of originals by Howard Pyle, the dean of author/illustrators, and a formidable collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.--------More on the exhibition and programming at the museum's official page.(Note: The installation photo is from the Smithsonian exhibition in 2002. This installation will look different).

I see that only 3 of the books' art is on display... is there a reason for that? And of the 4 books, which do you feel like is your favorite, or the one that you feel like you accomplished the most in artistically?

As someone who has essentially "grown up" going to the Deleware Art Museum, I can tell you that this will be a terrific venue for a Dinotopia exhibit.

Those for whom it's too far for a casual visit may want to consider making an overnight or weekend trip, to take advantage not only of the Delaware Art Museum's own collections of Pyle and American illustration, but the terrrific N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle resources at the nearby (20 minute drive) Brandywine River Museum; not to mention the Philadelphia Art Museum, which is only about 45 minutes away.

I don't know if it's a sensitive subject, sorry if it is, but I have been meaning to ask: you mention there will be art from ALAFT, World Beneath and Chandara, in general, why is there so few references to First Flight? You don't sell it at your store, and its art is rarely featured. One of my favorite Dinotopia pieces is the parade you showcased in the Motion Blur entry.

Will and Compa-Mighty, I've been meaning to post more about First Flight (1999), which is a prequel story to the other three. I've been meaning to include more about the book and the sub-universe. Thanks for suggesting it.

Goo Goo, I think there is a registration fee for the workshop.

Charley, thanks for mentioning the Brandywine and Philadelphia museums, both nearby, and both great collections.